Hello,

We are traveling with a group of 10 culinary students to Tuscany. We will initially arrive at Gatwick Airport in London on 7/10 at 9:30 AM. We must meet a flight at Heathrow Airport to fly to Milan 2 1/2 hours later. What is the best way to transfer 12 people from Gatwick to Heathrow on a Saturday morning? Is it even possible to make this flight? Will we need to go through customs again at Heathrow?

Thank you!

YIKES, it may be doable, but it is TIGHT. Does the 2.5 hrs includes clearing inmigration, collecting the luggage, transport to Heathrow and checking in? Tight indeed, even if you don't need to clear security at Heathrow, which, I am almost sure you would need to. Who made this arrangement for you guys?

You will NOT make the original connecting flight. CHANGE IT NOW!!!

Whoever booked this is guilty of some kind of malpractice.

So even if we change the time of the connecting flight (thank you for the advice!), what is the best way to transport all of us to Heathrow? Train, bus? Thank you!

I have never done it, but the British Airways recommends that if you have connecting flights between Heathrow and Gatwick or viceversa you use the Speedlink bus. The bus takes 1 to 1.5 hours, but you'll need to allow a minimum of THREE HOURS for a connection between flights.

If both flights are on BA they will pay for the transfer via SpeedLink. But you have to ask for it.

When you arrive Gatwick, before clearing immigration & Customs, go to a BA transfer desk and get a voucher. Then go thru immigration and customs and follow signs ot the Speedlink booth downstairs. . trade the voucher for a ticket there.

If not on BA, I think you have to go to the Speedlink booth and buy a ticket.

Either way, ask a crew member before you land and they can advise the smart way to go.

Hope this helps and you enjoy your trip . . Rich

Heathrow is crazy enough. Anyhow, good luck with the connection.

Rich,

When was the last time you did the transfer?

BA WILL NOT PAY for the transfer..even for the business or first class....

topping

We did a Speedlink bus transfer between these airports 4-5 years ago and BA did pay for our transport, but I understand they no longer do this for their passengers. As the others have advised the trip takes an hour or more depending on traffic, and I agree that you will definitely need more time to make your transfer.

Posters on this board have reported occasionally missing a connection even when they allowed *four* hours between the scheduled landing at one London airport and the scheduled departure from another London airport. All it takes is a late arrival, a delay getting through customs, missing the first bus, and heavy traffic to eat up your margin. Allow five hours to be safe.

I hate to be another voice of gloom, but in addition to this connection being a problem, just think of the problem of having to then find 12 seats to Milan on another flight if you do miss the connection.

Also do not forget that the widening of the M25 around Heathrow (this will last for two years from today) will cause added congestion as the lanes are rtemporarily narrowed to allow construction of new ones.

Who made these arrangements? If it was a travel agent, turn it over to them and get them to re-book you. As the others say, this will be an impossibility.

If a gate is not immediately avaiable when you land you could waste 3/4 of an hour just getting to the arrivals hall. And even if you could just barely get to LHR 2.5 hours after touchdown at LGW, you'd then face extensive security/check in delays.

And with a group everything takes a lot longer - not all bags will come down the carousel at the same time, not everyone will be able to schlepp their luggage at the same speed, etc. For a group of 10, I would allow a MINIMUM of 5 hours simply because the chance for a foul up increases w/ the number traveling together.

Hi
I know you will Not make this connection!! I work at Gatwick and it can realistically be a 20 minute walk from your gate to Immigration (depending if you land at South or North Terminal) and at that time on a Saturday you are looking at about 15-20 minutes in the immigration hall at least. You can get your boarding card at Gatwick, and then go straight to Heathrow with no more customs, but may have to check your bags in depending on who you are flying each leg with. Personally as per some of the others i would re-book the flight to Milan, and have a real go at the agent!!